Coralville approves contract for transit facility

CORALVILLE - The Coralville City Council Tuesday night awarded a contract for a $13.9 million transit facility.

The project is to serve as a commuter hub for public transportation and include 425 parking spaces, a staging area for buses, restrooms and showers for commuters, and office space for the city's Transit and Parking Department and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.

It will be in Coralville's Iowa River Landing District off First Avenue and is expected to be finished next summer.

The council voted to accept the bid of Knutson Construction Services. At $13.9 million, it was the lowest of the three offers the city received, but it was still more than 23 percent higher than the city's estimate.

The deal is contingent on approval from the Federal Transit Administration, according to City Clerk Thor Johnson. The city received $6.5 million in federal funds for the project.